How long did it take you to get diagnosed and start getting prescribed medication?

@anthystruly

Hi anthystruly, I dont have an official diagnosis, but through my own independent studies I can confidently say that I can check off most of the characteristics for inattentive type adhd.

I am currently at a place in my life where I have accepted this about myself and now work towards finding the sweet spot where my adhd works for me instead of against me. My plan is to continue to empower myself with as much knowledge as I can on how my brain is wired and then make some changes and go from there. Sort of like a trial and error way of going about it. 

Hi! It took me 27 years to get a diagnosis. I spent a good chunk of those 27 years working incredibly hard at school but often with little to show for my efforts. I grew up being slow at just about everything, especially eating and getting school work done. My mom nicknamed me the Poky Little Puppy, or Poky for short. I was often in someone's way, too, and I was very clumsy. I still have weaker motor control than most. I almost hit my boss while playing pickleball once! Don't pick me for sports! Also, I have a younger sister who is super smart and a quick learner. I was envious of her when we were kids. So, I internalized some hurtful messages: I am slow. I am in the way. I can't do anything right. I am stupid. Yet, I maintained a hopeful attitude, believing that I exist on purpose, that God has good plans for me, and that life is a great big adventure.

I persisted through high school and decided I would not torture myself over getting every single assignment done well, unlike my peers. I was a low achiever among overachievers. I focused my energy on my most interesting subjects and made it to community college, which was so much easier!

Those internalized messages I mentioned rarely came up until after I got married and after I pushed myself to get my bachelor's degree at a university, where I pulled an all nighter to finish a term paper! My symptoms worsened and became more apparent after I got married, when I had no structure on my days off and couldn't will myself to stop ruminating and get chores done. Plus, I'm a people pleaser, it hurt a lot when I disappointed my husband by failing to follow through on my plans. I spent a long time suffering from deep frustration and shame. Finally, 3 to 4 years ago I started seriously looking into what could possibly be wrong with me. I started seeing posts on social media about ADHD, and I went down many rabbit holes learning about ADHD and seeing that I have just about all the symptoms of inattentive-type ADHD. I contacted the mental health department of my healthcare provider and then talked to an intake specialist who then referred me to a doctor who interviewed me, diagnosed me, and then offered to prescribe medication. I declined medication and got in touch with a therapist instead, who gave me tools to help me with my worst symptoms at the time, which were organization and motivation. Now, I am continuing to learn ways to manage my symptoms without medicine, though in the future I may decide to try the meds.

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk ð¤£